Police Shoot Knifeman Who Stabbed Anti-Islamification Activist and Officer

A campaign rally to “stop political Islam” in Germany was ended before it even began after a knifeman attacked anti-Islamification campaigner, and then stabbed an officer after police turned up and attempted to arrest the wrong man.

Several people were slashed with a knife in Mannheim, Germany on Friday morning after a knifeman rushed the set-up of a political demonstration by a counter-extremist lobby group. The target of the attack appears to have been veteran Islam critic Michael Stürzenberger who was seriously injured with stab wounds to the face and leg, but is described as not being in danger of death.

A police officer responding to the ongoing knife attack at a political event in Germany on Friday appeared to make a critical mistake in rushing to arrest a victim rather than the perpetrator. German broadsheet Die Welt describes the moment as the officer having: “initially mistook another man for the perpetrator and knelt on him. Meanwhile, the actual attacker – black sweatpants, green shirt, full beard, glasses – approached from behind and stabbed the police officer several times.”

Police say the knife attack on an anti-Islamification rally by a “full beard” male is unknown, but they are investigating. The officer was struck in the neck and is in critical condition.

A second police officer responded to their colleague being stabbed and drew their service weapon, opening fire. The suspect was neutralised but not killed.

A livestream for Stürzenberger’s own social media was already running at the time the attack began and almost the whole incident was caught in high-quality live video, including visuals of several campaign event volunteers, dressed distinctively in bright blue, being stabbed. Police say a total of six people were injured in the attack which, the video shows, lasted just seconds.

Stürzenberger is a veteran of several decades in the campaign to oppose political Islam in Germany, and is well known for having been active against the building of new mosques in the country. Friday’s rally, had it been allowed to take place, was under the headline of “stop political Islam” and crime scene photographs show several placards, as well as German and Israeli flags flying.

Both Stürzenberger and the Citizens’ Movement Pax Europa group he was due to speak for today have been criticised as being Islamophobic and even ‘far right’ in the past for their campaigning and warnings about the influence of Islam in Europe. Stürzenberger has been convicted in the past for writing that Islam is a “cancer” in Europe.